Lieutenant Colonel O. Watson D.S.O. of the Yorkshire Regiment attached as commanding officer to Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), was awarded the V.C. for bravery on 28th March 1918 near the villages of Bucquoy and Hebuterne at Rossignol Wood. During this act he was killed. During the March 1918 offensives of the German Army the enemy captured a trench of the 2/5th Battalion KOYLI. The unit then counter-attacked against a now strongly held German position which at first achieved its objective; but after coming themselves under an enemy counter-attack they were forced to hold on in two improvised strong-points. Lieutenant Colonel Watson saw that immediate action was necessary in an attempt to hold them, consequently he led his remaining small reserve in an assault, organising bombing parties and leading attacks under intense fire. They were then outnumbered and in danger of being overwhelmed he finally ordered his men to withdraw, remaining himself in a communication trench to cover the retirement. The assault he led was at a critical moment and without doubt kept the Germans from the British reserve trenches. Unfortunately the C.O. was was killed as he covered his men's withdrawal. This account of Watson's actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 2 October 1918. || Article with annotations.

Article with annotations. || Private John Carroll, Australian Imperial Force, was awarded the V.C. for bravery. John Carroll (1891-1971), soldier, labourer and railway employee, was born on 16 August 1891 in Brisbane, son of John Carroll, labourer, and his wife Catherine, née Wallace, both Irish-born. When he was two the family moved to Donnybrook, Western Australia, and then to Yarloop. About 1905 they settled at Kurrawang where John and his father joined the Goldfields Firewood Supply Co. as labourers. Tall and well built, John was a good athlete and a prominent member of the local football club; he was working as a railway guard on the Kurrawang line when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a private on 27 April 1916. Carroll embarked for England in August with reinforcements for the 44th Battalion, then on 14 November was transferred to the 33rd Battalion. He went into the line at Armentières, France, and served there until April 1917 when his unit moved into position for the Messines offensive. On 7 June, in the battle of Messines Ridge, he rushed an enemy trench and bayoneted four men, then rescued a comrade who was in difficulties. Later in the advance he attacked a machine-gun crew, killing three men and capturing the gun, and, in spite of heavy shelling and machine-gun fire, dug out two of his mates who had been buried by a shell explosion. During the battle his battalion was in the line for ninety-six hours and Carroll 'displayed most wonderful courage and fearlessness' throughout. He was awarded the Victoria Cross and in September was promoted lance corporal. On 12 October, in the second battle of Passchendaele, he was severely wounded and did not rejoin his unit until June 1918; next month he was transferred to A.I.F. headquarters, London, and in August returned to Australia. This account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 14 December 1917.

John McAulay VC DCM was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was 28 years old, and a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place at the Battle of Cambrai for which he was awarded the VC. On 27 November 1917 at Fontaine Notre Dame when all his officers had become casualties, Sergeant McAulay assumed command of his company and under artillery and machine gun fire successfully held and consolidated the objectives gained. He reorganised the company and noticing a counter attack developing repulsed it by the skilful and bold use of machine guns, causing heavy casualties to the enemy. The Sergeant then carried his company commander, who was mortally wounded, to a place of safety. After the war he resumed his career in the Glasgow Police, rising to the rank of Inspector before retiring in 1948. The attached account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 26 January 1918. || Article with annotations.